A scrap metal dealer has been ordered to pay more than £3,000 for trading without a licence.
Shane Barton, 46, of Embankment Road, was found guilty in his absence at Plymouth Magistrates court on Monday following an investigation by the Council into his business.
The court heard that records obtained by the Council showed that between January 2018 and July 2019, Barton had earned nearly £20,000 by selling scrap metal.
In August 2019, the Council wrote to him to asking him to apply for a scrap metal licence but no licence was applied for.
He was spoken to again in March 2020, this time in person, where it was explained to Barton that he was operating illegally.
But despite these requests, Barton continued to sell scrap metal without a licence and earned a further £11,000 between August 2019 and October 2020. Barton was also collecting general waste during this time under the business name Shane's Waste.
In addition, Barton had also been transporting scrap metal, which is classed as a waste product, under an invalid waste carriers licence that had been issued to his son at an old address.
Waste carriers licences must be kept up to date in order to be valid. Barton had also been contacted about this but no attempt was ever made to update it.
The magistrates found Barton guilty of two counts of trading in scrap metal without a licence and another of transporting waste without being a registered waste carrier.
He was ordered to pay £660 fine for each of the three offences, £1,000 court costs and a £190 victim surcharge. The total of £3,170 must be paid with 28 days.
Councillor John Riley, Cabinet member for with responsibility for governance and licensing, said: "The message here is simple: You must have a licence to trade in scrap metal and you must have a licence to transport waste.
"There are lots of decent, reputable and legitimate traders out there who know and respect this, that's why it's so important to ensure that we investigate and then prosecute those who feel that they are above the law.
“There is no excuse.”
More information on licensing and permits can be found on our website: www.plymouth.gov.uk/licensingandpermits